Because the era after the fall of the Roman Empire seems so long ago, people think that very little can be known about the peoples of northern Europe. You will be surprised at what is known from archaeological records, place name evidence, saints' lives, king lists, and annals, and so on. Yes, there are gaps. It's not like writing a novel set during the Regency Period. But that's a good thing. Your imagination can kick in!

So here is a bit of what you'll learn. The Scots were a Gaelic-speaking people who came from Ireland during the Iron Age. The Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata extended from the north of Ireland to the southwest of Scotland; the centre of kingship shifted about AD 500 from Ireland to Scotland. Christianity came to Scotland during this period and many clergy left Ireland to found churches in Scotland.

The Picts spoke a British language (very similar to Welsh). Myths about the Picts say they also spoke a language unrelated to most other languages in Europe and that inheritance was matrilinial (through the mother). We'll look at those ideas. The Picts and Scots, Celtic peoples, believed in the religion of the Druids. In the 9th century the Picts and Scots merged to form the Kingdom of Alba, to meet the Norse threat. Picts, Scots and Norse all in one course! What more could you ask for?

5 Lectures with self quizzes, simple research projects and story ideas. Questions and discussion encouraged, but lurkers also welcome.

Bio:

Sharron Gunn learned to read and write Scottish Gaelic at Xavier College (now UCB) in Nova Scotia, and later obtained an honours degree in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. While a student, she had a job selling Gaelic books in the Highlands from which she gained a greater knowledge of the geography and people. A requirement for the job was fluency in Gaelic, the language of the Highlands and Islands. She often returns to Scotland. Several times she has travelled to the Royal National MÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â²d, a huge music festival, as a member of a Gaelic choir from Canada. She is busy writing a fantasy novel set in WWII.

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at writing a sexy novella? Are you worried you won't be able to write short? Do love scenes intimidate you? Worry no more! It's time to learn the craft of novella writing. Creating a sensual short story can be fun and profitable.

And there has never been a better time to write short. With so many new and established publishers hungry for novellas, the market is wide open--if you know how to catch an editor's attention.

Sensual novellas are about much more than sex. And the guidelines are different than for a traditional-length novel. This workshop will help you learn how to plot a novella whether you are a heavy outliner or a "pantser." You'll see how easy it is to layer emotion into your love scenes and hook the reader from the very first sentence. The class will also instruct you on how to pack more into less words, while still keeping your love story strong and your audience captivated. We'll even include a sensual and sensory word reference list as a bonus!

Are you ready to take readers on a swift, sensual, and emotionally riveting journey?

Note: This workshop includes handouts as well as suggested reading, and will include excerpts from the presenters' and other authors' novellas.

Bio:

Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing...) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com.

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Hearts Through History RWA Special Interest Chapter

Through this chapter we gather and discuss different aspects of historical romance, how they fit into the genre and how we, as writers, can further perfect and promote romance fiction. We are a tight-knit community of writers, both published and non-published, and we welcome new members of like mind and like passion to join us. http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/

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August Contest

Seduced by History Blog is hosting a month-long contest in August. One winner will receive a ‘basketful of goodies.’ All you have to do is check in on each blog during the month, look for a contest question to answer and September 1-5, 2011 send in your answers to seducedbyhistoryblog@yahoo.com.

All entries must be received by midnight Monday, September 5, 2011 to be eligible for the drawing. A winner will be chosen from all those eligible on or about September 6, 2011 and contacted by email. Odds of winning will depend on the number of total number of entries received.